Pete Matthews juggles with three very heavy axes, and also with sharp knives, as he wants his act to have an element of danger - yes you did read that correctly!

This is just one of the skills of this successful entertainer, a former pupil of Queen Elizabeth’s School who grew up in Wimborne and now lives in West Parley with his wife Claire and children Annie, 11, and Milo, 9.

For many years his parents Di and Dudley ran the Dormers, now the Olive Branch, in Wimborne.

I interviewed him in 1990 when at the age of 16 he billed himself as ‘A comedy juggler - the youngest speciality act on the entertainment circuit today’.

Pete on Easter Island

His ambition then was to entertain on a cruise liner -

fast forward 27 years and he is the ‘go to performer’ when cruise ships are looking for a highly professional act.

However, you will be able to see him locally at the Tivoli Theatre on Friday 21st July in the Big Big Variety Show. But more of that later.

“I left school at 16 because I wanted to be a clown,” he said, adding that three years earlier his uncle - an actor - had taught him to juggle with three fruit.

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Subsequently he has appeared at the launch of all three Queens - Queen Mary II - when Shirley Bassey was performing - Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Victoria. He has also been one of the acts on five Celebrity and four Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have been everywhere in the world that has a coast including the remote Easter Island,” he said.

He is flown out to the ships and then back home again, and last year took 150 flights.

“We get paid to travel, the show is for free,” he quipped.

Keeping fit isn’t a problem as he does two shows a day - at 8.30pm and 10.30pm.

“My act is one hour, and incredibly physical.”

Unicycling doesn’t quite seem suitable for seas which can be choppy.

“I still go ahead, even when they say it is too rough for the dancers,” said Pete, who said he has the distinction of being able to throw a diabolo higher than anyone else in the world.

A demo on his back lawn proved his talent.

But back to his Big Big Variety Show.

Although it is his fourth charity show in Wimborne he hadn’t intended to do one this year.

“It was an afterthought. I was going to invite all my showbiz friends to a big get together. That takes a lot of organisation, so I thought if they are coming to the party, why not ask them to give their time for a charity show,” Pete said.

His first two shows raised £6,500 for the Neo-Natal Unit at Poole Hospital.

“Milo was six weeks premature and the hospital were so good to us that I felt compelled to do something to help them.”

The third, last year, raised around £8,000 for the Red Cross refugee crisis.

“It was my wife Claire who suggested that this time we should raise fund for the Multiple Sclerosis Society as her mother died from a MS related illness 20 years ago, and she was so keen for research into the illness to be carried out, ” he said.

He hopes to raise £10,000, from ticket sales, plus the auction and raffle.

There are an incredible 36 prizes including a week in an apartment in the Costa Del Sol, a £100 Hall and Woodhouse voucher and a 60 minute ride in a Lamborghini Hurricane.

The show has 25 world-class performers including Dwayne Cunningham who is flying in from America, West End stars Lindsay Hamilton, Mike Doyle, Lorraine Brown and David Shannon, Pavarotti tribute Paul Michael, magicians Jamie Allan and Neal Austin, mentalist Marc Paul and jugglers Sam Veale and Jon Udry to name just a few.

An eight-piece orchestra led by Tim Fulker will provide musical backing.

Tickets for the show which takes place on Friday 21st July at 7pm - doors opening at 6.30pm - are available from tivoliwimborne.co.uk or from 01202 885566.